Return-ball megaphone.



PATENTED MAR. 22, 1904.

f G.P.DUNN.

RETURN 'BALL MEGAPHONE.

APPLIOATION FILEDvJUNE 22. 1903.

No M'ODBL.

Patented March 22, 1904.

PATENT OEEICE.

GEORGE F. DUNN, OF 'BROOKTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

RETURN-BALL MEGAPHONE.

SPECIFICATION forming' part f Letters Patent N0. l755,117, dated. Tvarch 22, 1904.

Application led June 22, 1903` Be it known that I, GEORGE F. DUNN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brockton, county o f Plymouth, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in -Return-Ball Megaphones, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

of an attractive toy capable also of practical use in other directions and including certain features of construction whereby a number of the devices can be conveniently packed tolgether for shipment, besides various other special features of beauty and utility.

In carrying out my invention I provide a conical-shaped device, like a megaphone, `of rigid material and preferably having an overhanging larger end, and on the shorter side thereof or beneath said overhanging end I secure a return-ball by means of a usual resilient cord, said cone containing atransverse support for catching and stopping theball before it reaches the extreme lower open end thereof. Further constructional details and advantages of my invention will be pointed out in the course of the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which I have illustrated one form of my invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents my invention in side elevation. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view thereof.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that I provide a body part in the form of a hollow cone a made of leather-board or other suitable thin stiff material and make the upper side thereof, as shown in Fig. 1, longer than the lower side, so as to provide an overhanging end a,whichIcall the striker end. Adjacent the front edge of the lower side of the cone is an eyelet a2, in which is secured a resilient cord as, attached at its free end to a return-ball at, of rubber or other usual material. Because of this construction considerable skill is required in manipulating the device so as to catch the ball. The cone is held back over the shoulder (the ball being within the same against the Serial No. 162,481. (No model.)

into the position shown in Fig. l, the result being that the ball is thrown by the centrifugal action of the movement and the suddenness with which the cone is stopped in the latter position. As the ball reaches its farthest distance the player immediately retracts the cone into an approximately vertical position.

d This causes the cord a3 to pull from the point The object of my invention is the provision cf on the ball; but as the backward swing of the cone was in an upward direction the ball is caused to move in a path slightly above the cord, so that if the operator is suiiiciently skilful the ball will strike against the projecting end a and will then fall into the tube. It is by no means easy, however, to make the ball hit the striker end.

The cone a is preferably bound by a metal band or rim a5 at its larger end, and asimilar band or rim at at its smaller end, which constitutes the mouthpiece of the device when used as a megaphone.

Toward the smaller end of the cone I make two transverse incisions a7, in which is secured a barrier (shown as a ribbon, cord, or other suitable strand) which when the device is to be prepared for use is secured in suitable neat and attractive manner, asv indicated at as, thereby providing acheck or stopping device for preventing the ball from wedging into the smaller end near the mouthpiece and causing said hall to stop in proper position for successful throwing subsequently. One reason for providing this special form of stoppage device is to enable the toys to be packed conveniently for shipping in large quantities. By having the ribbon loose and mounted as shown one cone can be'slipped tightly into another and a large number of them thus nested together, leaving the ends of the ribbons simply hanging externally of each cone, while'the middle portion of the ribbon is depressed against the inside of the cone out of the way of the adjacent cone, and then when the cones are unpacked each one` separately may simply have the ends of the ribbons brought together and tied Without special appliance or skill.

In use the operator takes hold of the cone at its lower end, as shown in Fig. 1, and sim- IOO ply throws the return-ball to the required distance, whereupon by a skilful manipulation of the cone the ball upon its return into thc position indicated in dotted lines at w strikes against the inclined striker end of the cone and lodges against the ribbon in a position of rest.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A device comprising a body part in the form of a hollow cone having a return-ball connected thereto by a resilient cord secured at the lower edge of the large end of the cone, said cone having an overhanging striker end projecting at the upper edge.

2. A device comprising a hollow cone having one side shorter than the other side, thereby providing an overhanging striker end, and a return-ball secured by a resilient cord to said cone for striking against said overhanging end and lodging within the cone.

3. A device comprising a cone having a return-ball attached thereto by a resilient cord,

and a flexible, ribbon-like barrier movably secured through said cone adjacent the small end thereof for receiving said ball,` said ribbon-like device having its ends extending to the outside Jfor being externally secured.

4. A device comprising a, hollow cone of thin, stiff material having an overhanging portion at one side of its large end, an eyelet in the shorter side opposite said overhanging side, a resilient cord secured at one end to said eyelet and having at its other lend a' return-ball, opposite slits through the Walls of said cone adjacent the small end thereof, and a flexiblestrip passed through the cone and said slits, and adapted to vbe detachably secured at its ends for providing a ball-stopping barrier within the cone.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE F. DUNN. Witnesses:

GEO. H. MAXWELL, J. ETHEL TARR. 

